Hopkins, Watt earn 2016 Pro Bowl invitations

J.J. Watt

HOUSTON – Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins and DE J.J. Watt were named to the 2016 NFL Pro Bowl, the NFL announced today. Houston will send Hopkins and Watt to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii for the League’s feature of the best players on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. This marks the 12th consecutive season that the Texans have had at least one player elected to the Pro Bowl.

Hopkins will be making his first trip to the Pro Bowl after emerging as one of the league’s best receivers in 2015. He is currently ranked fourth in the NFL in both receiving yards (1,315) and receptions (97). He is also tied for seventh in the league in receiving touchdowns (10) and second in receiving first downs (74).

Hopkins became the third-youngest player in NFL history to reach 200 career receptions and 3,000 career receiving yards, behind only Larry Fitzgerald (23 years, 108 days) and David Boston (23 years, 126 days). He also became the first player in NFL history with at least nine catches and 145 receiving yards in three consecutive games (Weeks 4-6).

Additionally, the 23-year-old Hopkins broke numerous franchise records, including most receiving touchdowns in a single season and passed Andre Johnson for the most receptions (225) and receiving yards (3,327) for a player in his first three seasons in team history. Hopkins has five 100-yard receiving games this season and is averaging 13.6 yards per reception.

Watt is making his fourth-straight Pro Bowl appearance after putting together another dominant season on defense for the Texans. Watt passed Derrick Thomas (66.0) for the second-most career sacks in a player’s first five seasons in NFL history and became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 70.0 sacks (Reggie White, 57 games).

Watt has 66 tackles, 13.5 sacks for 87.5 yards, 25 tackles for loss, 44 quarterback hits, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. He is currently the league leader in quarterback hits, tackles for loss and is tied for second in the league in sacks. For his career, Watt has 70.5 sacks, 203 quarterback hits, 128 tackles for loss, 11 fumble recoveries, 13 forced fumbles, and 42 passes defensed.

Watt, who was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, has five mutli-sack (2.0-or-more) games this season and 20 in his career, which is the second-most of any player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Watt also notched his fourth-straight season with 10.0-or-more sacks, which is the longest active streak in the NFL, and is the first Texan with four seasons of 10.0-or-more sacks.

Texans T Duane Brown was named an alternate.

The 2016 Pro Bowl teams will be determined through the Pro Bowl Draft. Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin will serve as alumni captains, choosing the two rosters.